Age of Mythology: Retold

Age of Mythology: Retold – Game Review

Age of Mythology: Retold marks the return of one of the most beloved real-time strategy (RTS) games, a remastered version of the 2002 classic Age of Mythology. Developed by Ensemble Studios and now being revitalized by World’s Edge, this remastered edition aims to bring updated visuals, improved mechanics, and modern quality-of-life features to a timeless mythological RTS.

With its blend of ancient mythology, strategic gameplay, and iconic god powers, Age of Mythology: Retold brings new life to a game that has long been a cornerstone for RTS fans. Let’s dive into the core elements of this remaster and what it offers to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Gameplay and Core Mechanics

At its heart, Age of Mythology: Retold retains the classic RTS mechanics that made the original game a hit. Players choose one of several ancient civilizations—Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and later expansions including Atlantean and Chinese—and guide their people through the ages by gathering resources, building armies, and worshiping gods to unlock special powers. The combination of base-building, resource management, and large-scale battles remains the core gameplay loop, but the addition of mythological creatures and divine interventions is what sets this game apart from other RTS titles.

Civilizations and Their Unique Mythology Each civilization in the game is deeply rooted in its mythology. For instance, the Greeks worship gods like Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, each offering different god powers and mythological units such as Minotaurs and Cyclopes. The Norse civilization focuses on gods like Odin and Thor, using a mix of mortal warriors and mythical creatures like Frost Giants. Egyptians call upon gods such as Ra and Anubis, using myth units like Sphinxes and Anubites to overpower their enemies. These civilizations aren’t just visually distinct but play differently as well, with unique god powers that can turn the tide of battle. God powers range from summoning thunderstorms and earthquakes to raining down meteors on enemies. This mythological twist adds an exciting layer of strategic depth, as knowing when and how to use god powers can make all the difference.
Updated Visuals and Audio One of the most significant changes in Age of Mythology: Retold is the overhaul of its visuals and audio. The remaster breathes new life into the game’s world with high-definition textures, improved lighting, and better animations. The game’s environments are more detailed, with lush forests, vibrant oceans, and imposing structures, all of which make the world feel more alive. Mythological creatures like Hydra and Nidhogg look even more imposing with their updated models, adding to the grandeur of the game’s legendary battles. The sound design has also been reworked to complement the new visuals. Epic orchestral scores set the tone for intense battles, and sound effects such as the clash of swords and the roars of mythical beasts are crisp and immersive. The voice acting from the original game remains, bringing back nostalgic charm while blending with the enhanced presentation.
Quality-of-Life Improvements Age of Mythology: Retold isn’t just a visual upgrade; it also introduces modern features and quality-of-life improvements. Key changes include:

Improved Pathfinding: Units move more intelligently across the battlefield, with fewer moments of getting stuck or taking awkward routes.
Enhanced UI: The user interface has been streamlined for a more modern look and feel, making it easier to manage large armies and resources.
Expanded Multiplayer Options: Online play has been revamped with better matchmaking and more customization options for competitive and casual players. It’s easier to connect with friends or jump into a quick skirmish.
Mod Support: The remaster maintains support for community mods, allowing players to create custom maps, game modes, and scenarios.
Better AI: The AI has been upgraded to provide a more challenging and strategic experience, adapting better to players’ tactics.

Single-Player Campaign and Scenarios The original Age of Mythology campaign, which follows the hero Arkantos on his quest through mythological Greece, Egypt, and the Norse lands, returns in Retold. Players will once again experience the rich narrative driven by mythical themes, gods, and legendary creatures. The campaign is full of varied missions, from base-building and siege warfare to holding off waves of enemies while preparing a counterattack. The game also includes content from the Titans expansion, which introduced the Atlantean civilization and powerful Titan units. The presence of these massive units adds a sense of awe and power to the game, allowing players to summon towering gods onto the battlefield to wreak havoc on enemy cities.

Multiplayer and Replayability

Age of Mythology: Retold shines in its multiplayer component. The remaster brings updated multiplayer matchmaking and ranked modes, making it more accessible for both casual and competitive players. Online skirmishes are as thrilling as ever, with players engaging in fast-paced, tactical warfare while harnessing the power of gods to tip the scales in their favor.

The depth of each civilization, combined with the variability in god powers and mythological units, keeps the gameplay fresh. Players can experiment with different strategies based on their choice of deities and myth units, offering near-endless replayability.

For those who enjoy custom content, the remaster retains robust support for modding. This means players can create and share custom scenarios, maps, and campaigns, breathing new life into the game and keeping the community engaged.

Performance and Optimization

Despite the graphical improvements, Age of Mythology: Retold runs smoothly on a wide range of systems. The game is optimized for modern PCs, ensuring that it performs well even during large-scale battles with dozens of units on screen. Load times are shorter, and there are fewer technical hiccups compared to the original, which suffered from occasional pathfinding and performance issues.

The remaster also includes support for 4K resolution, allowing players to fully appreciate the detailed environments and mythological units in all their glory.

What Could Be Improved

While Age of Mythology: Retold is a fantastic remaster, there are still areas that could be improved or expanded upon:

Lack of New Content:
Although the remaster improves visuals and mechanics, it doesn’t add significant new content in terms of civilizations or campaigns. Fans of the original may hope for new factions or storylines to further expand the world of Age of Mythology.
Balance Issues:
As with the original, some god powers and myth units can feel overpowered, which might affect competitive multiplayer. Balancing adjustments could be made to ensure a fair playing field for all civilizations.
UI Complexity for New Players:
Despite the UI improvements, Age of Mythology can still feel overwhelming for newcomers, especially those unfamiliar with the RTS genre. A more comprehensive tutorial or onboarding system could help ease new players into the complex mechanics of the game.

Conclusion

Age of Mythology: Retold successfully brings a beloved classic into the modern era with stunning visual updates, improved mechanics, and quality-of-life enhancements. For fans of the original, this remaster is a nostalgic trip back to one of the most unique RTS games ever made, with enough polish and improvements to make it feel fresh. For newcomers, it offers a gateway into the world of mythological strategy gaming, combining deep strategic elements with the excitement of god powers and mythological creatures.

While it doesn’t introduce much in the way of new content, Age of Mythology: Retold stands as a well-crafted remaster that maintains the essence of what made the original great, while updating it for modern gaming standards.

System Requirements

Minimum:
    Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    OS: Windows 10 64bit
    Processor: Intel® i3-4130 or AMD FX 4350 at 2.4GHZ+ with 2 cores / 4 threads and AVX support
    Memory: 8 GB RAM
    Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 645 or AMD Radeon™ Vega 8 or Intel® Iris Graphics 550 or better
    DirectX: Version 12
    Storage: 25 GB available space

Recommended:
    Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    OS: Windows 10 64bit
    Processor: 3.6 Ghz i5 or greater or AMD equivalent and AVX support
    Memory: 16 GB RAM
    Graphics: Nvidia® GeForce® GTX 970 or AMD Radeon™ RX 570 or better
    DirectX: Version 12
    Storage: 25 GB available space